Interview Question

Hoping to get chief Lepore and Capt Bob to answer this, but when asked what have you done to prepare to be a firefighter, what is the best way to get so much information out in a short time, what are the keywords to hit? Thanks

Tell them what they want to hear.
In all honesty I would nail your key points in chronological order.... If there is something unique or interesting that you have done or feel that the board might find interesting throw it out there and go into a bit more detail. I would try and steer clear of going in depth about all the tasks you accomplished while going through a college fire academy..... everyone will use that.
Just keep in mind, things that seem huge at the this point in your life (riding a private ambulance being the biggest one) don't really matter in the fire service.
I don't know. Since getting the job and being on for a few years I see things a lot differently than I did while going through the interview process.
If I ever have to interview again, I will change my strategy in a big way.

Greetings Thunderdome,
This is a very common question. In fact, I believe you can pretty much guarantee that you will get it in the exact form you phrased the question, or something very similar to it.

What have you done to prepare yourself to become a firefighter?

What I am really saying is:
My academy or initial training is very difficult. What have you done that will make me believe you will make it through my training? In my opinion, the best thing you can do to prove to me that you can make it through my academy or initial training is to highlight the firefighter training you have already completed. A basic fire academy is the best thing as it tells me that you already know how to pull hose, throw ladders and be tested under pressure. It also tells me that you understand the importance of getting along with your other classmates.

If you have not been through a basic fire academy what can you say? Whatever YOU have accomplished to this point in your life, insert answer here. Some of the good answers I look for (absent formal training include:
1. I am an EMT working on an ambulance. I know this is important because 85% (+or-) of the calls that the fire department responds to are medical calls. I am a good EMT and I really enjoy the medical side of the job.
2. I am in very good physical condition. I know this is important as the job is so physically demanding. (This is especially important because the number one reason people fail out of the academy is due to poor physical fitness).
3. I am a good citizen. I pay my bills on time and am a good neighbor. I am active in my community. With all of the people who have a background issue, this is an important quality. I believe it’s better to make a good citizen into a firefighter than it is to pin a badge on someone’s chest and try to turn them into a good person. This was your parents’ job to do years ago. I would rather hire a good person and train them to become a firefighter. As Gordon Graham says, “The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior”
4. I am very mechanically inclined. This is very important, especially with today’s generation. As a general rule they did not grow up working on cars in the garage. (all newer cars are electronic ignition) Today’s generation grew up playing video games and they had a gardener. As a result, today’s generation is not very mechanically inclined. For the record, this was one of my weaknesses. AFTER I got hired I became mechanically inclined by buying the crummy house in the good neighborhood and fixing it up. Those with a strong mechanical background and much more fluid when working with hose, ladders and SCBA’s.
These are just a few examples that come to mind. Best of luck to you!!

Thunderdome7.....I usually will answer questions that are asked . Deputy Chief Paul Lepore and Captain Bob are the heavy hitters . I'm not in their league but still do backgrounds and oral interviews. Good luck..